Shrub plant variegated dogwood: planting and care. Best tips for caring for and planting variegated turf

Dogwood is one of the genera of the cornelian or derain family, which includes several dozen species. Under natural conditions, they choose a temperate zone for growth: the Far East, Europe, Siberia, North America, northern China. Shrubs of this genus are particularly decorative, often used in landscape design, are used in landscaping. It received this property due to the many corymbose inflorescences, dense foliage on the shoots, the plant is also known for its unpretentiousness and easy reproduction. There is even one edible species of this plant - male dogwood.

The most widespread species in culture is the white dogwood, also sometimes called as white svidina. In nature, it lives among shrubs in the north and east of the Russian European part, along the banks of streams and rivers of the Far East and Eastern Siberia. This shrub reaches 3 m in height, has many branches, has thin erect red-brown and coral-red shoots. Young bark has a bluish bloom and bright color... The leaves on the branches are opposite, have a dark green color, slightly bluish-white underneath and covered with hairs on both sides. The leaves of the shrub are elliptical or broadly ovate. At first glance, they seem a little wrinkled due to the embossed veins. Shrub flowering and fruiting occurs at 3-4 years of life of the turf and begins in May-June. Its yellow-white flowers are collected in corymbose inflorescences. The shrub is especially ornamental in autumn period at the time when its leaves turn purple-red or purple-red. The shrub grows very quickly for the first 13-15 years, and after that growth slows down and fades. The shrub becomes darker at this time, and the red color remains exclusively on young shoots.

This species is also widespread due to its winter hardiness and frost resistance, not picky about the shade, perfectly adapts to city conditions. It grows remarkably on any post, although it is more favorable to moist sandy loam. During prolonged drought, the leaves wither, but as soon as the humidity rises, they recover. It is the unpretentiousness and unique decorative properties that contribute to the use of shrubs in landscaping since 1741. It is ideal for large loose groups, for hedges. Propagate white turf by layering, cuttings, root suckers, seeds. Sometimes it can be slightly damaged by aphids, but at the same time it is well pruned.

Derain blood red

Svidina blood-red (blood-red dogwood) is found somewhat less often in landscape design. Natural habitat - European part Russia, Carpathians, Scandinavia, Caucasus. Prefers forest edges, damp places near lakes and rivers. In such conditions, the shrub reaches 3-4 m, has flexible green shoots, but with age they acquire a reddish tint. It also has bright, green ovoid leaves that are covered with hairs. At the end of the month of May, corymbose inflorescences bloom. Flowering occurs every year, starting at age seven and lasts two weeks. Sometimes a second bloom occurs in August.

The fruits ripen in autumn, while the leaves become, indeed, a bloody red tint.

This shrub is also well adapted to urban conditions, winter-hardy, tolerates drought and shade well, but prefers moist sandy loam or fresh loose loam. Recovers very quickly after a haircut. Shrubs are also used for other purposes: baskets and hoops are woven from its shoots, wood is used to make joinery. The oil in the seeds is used for technical purposes. The shrub is a good soil fixer, as it has many root suckers. Therefore, it is often planted in hedges and on slopes.

Other types of deren

Good indicators of resistance to winter conditions even in Central Russia has Derain alternate-leaved, otherwise called svidina alternate-leaved. In Moscow, the height of the shrub reaches one and a half meters, initially its shoots are green. Then they change color to red-brown.

Just as unpretentious to winter conditions is the North American species of scion, which lives in thickets of shrubs along water bodies and rivers, as well as in humid forests. In appearance it is similar to white sod. The shrub blooms at 4-5 years of age with milky white flowers, its fruits are bluish-reddish. The shrub propagates by root shoots, cuttings, seeds, layering.

Other North American species have no less good winter hardiness: Beil's dern, fragrant dern, oblique dern, racemose dern.

Much less winter-hardy are such species as Coase's Derain, Canadian Derain and Flowering Derain.

Blooming derain, otherwise - blooming bentamidia, grows in the eastern part North America... This shrub loves warmth, in natural conditions it grows up to 6 m. The leaves are elliptical, small flowers gather in an inflorescence, which is surrounded by large bracts. Coase bentamidia has 4 large white bracts and small yellow-green flowers. The leaves of the shrub are elliptical, dark green in color, but slightly bluish-green underneath, and turn bright yellow in autumn. The fruits of Coase bentamidia are juicy, scarlet fruits, edible and with a tart taste. Canadian bentamidia lives not only in Canada, but also in China, on Far East, in Russia, Japan. This view in Moscow in winter period survives thanks to the snow cover. If the winter is snowless, then the shrub can be severely affected by frost.

Many East Asian species, most often from China (officinalis, Walther's derain) are not frost-resistant. And even if they are sheltered in winter, they still die, surviving only in the botanical gardens of Moscow State University.

Breeding deren

Any kind of turf reproduces vegetatively. Its cuttings are rooted in greenhouses under glass in washed sand, which is poured into a 3-5 centimeter layer on a substrate from a turf mixture, or, as an option, sand with humus soil. Before planting shrubs, the soil must be well watered. Cuttings are planted at an angle of 45 degrees to 5 cm deep into the ground .. During rooting in the greenhouse, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of + 20-25 degrees Celsius. Also, we must not forget about high humidity, which is supported by spraying with water and using a fogging installation. By autumn, the plants have strong and strong roots, which allows them to be planted in the ground. But in the first winter, the sod should be covered with spruce branches and a leaf.

Derain red (video)

The use of turf in the landscape

Many varieties of deren are used as material for creating hedges. To do this, they land next to each other and, growing up, create a high and dense wall. Thanks to it, the air is filled with freshness and a pleasant aroma, protection from dust and wind is formed. A very spectacular and decorative hedge is formed from white turf, the special beauty of which is given by its variegated varieties with bright shoots. They are easily and well pruned and grow back very quickly.

If you are choosing a shrub for your site, then Special attention should be given the possibility of combining this plant and other ornamental species: flowering time, decorative properties, appearance, portability to certain conditions, size.

Among the plants used to create hedges, variegated sod holds a special place. This ornamental shrub fell in love with many gardeners because of its lush and variegated vegetation, as well as the unusual type of bark. And thanks to the unpretentiousness in planting and caring for grasses, variegated is very often found in city parks and gardens. Today from our article you will learn everything about growing this ornamental plant in your area.

Description

Derain variegated - a plant created by artificial means. Its main feature is the original color of leaves and shoots. Derain is a deciduous ornamental shrub with a large and spreading crown. The height and diameter of such a plant reaches from one and a half to five meters. The green leaves of the shrub are edged in different shades - from snow-white to brown-red. The main flowering period takes place in May and June. At this time, the shrub is covered with white flowers, collected in small inflorescences with a diameter of about 5 centimeters. In the fall, inedible fruits ripen in the form of light blue berries. Due to its frost resistance, the culture is often used to decorate plots in the northern regions.

Varieties

The variegated turf has several varieties. Each one is different external qualities, their growing methods are practically the same.

• Derain Elegantissima. This variety is distinguished by concave bluish leaves, which have a snow-white edging at the edges. The height of the shrub can reach three meters, and the diameter of the crown is five. Most often, the Elegantissima sod is used to create a hedge, since this variety grows quite quickly.
• "Gauhault". A winter-hardy shrub that grows one and a half to two meters in height. The leaves of this variety have yellow edging, as well as pinkish spots.
• Derain is red. Another type of deciduous shrub that reaches four meters in height. The branchy crown consists of shoots of various colors - from gentle green to juicy purple. Rounded leaves in summer have a green color, which changes to bright red with the arrival of autumn. It is because of this color of leaves that the red dogwood got its name.

Landing features

In fact, variegated dogwood can be grown in almost any environment. However, the absence (or presence) of fertile soil, sufficient lighting and moisture can greatly affect the decorative qualities of the bush. To grow this plant, it is advisable to use a soil rich in nutrients, as well as provide adequate lighting and moderate watering.

In order for the bush to grow stronger before the arrival of winter, planting must be carried out in the spring. Despite the average frost resistance, spring planting allows the turf to gain strength. It is preferable to plant saplings in partial shade, in an area with acidified soil. You should not plant a bush next to conifers.

If your site is close to groundwater, be sure to take care of preparing drainage in the pits for planting seedlings. Compost and humus are also added to the prepared holes. Planting is carried out strictly at the level of the root collar, since with a stronger deepening, the plant may die, and with a more superficial one, excessive formation of weak shoots occurs. After planting, the plant is well watered, the topsoil is slightly loosened and mulched.

Watering and feeding

Derain variegated in planting and care is quite unpretentious. It is quite enough to monitor the moisture content of its soil and periodically apply fertilizers.

Young seedlings need more frequent watering, and an adult plant needs 2-3 waterings per month. In this case, one bush requires no more than two buckets of water. Watering becomes more frequent only during dry summer periods.

In general, feeding variegated turf is a completely optional process. But to reveal all its decorative qualities, it is worth fertilizing once or twice a year. The procedure is carried out in the spring with the help of mineral dressings and in the summer, when each bush is applied organic fertilizers(such as compost or humus).

More an important milestone care is pruning variegated turf. If you decide to do without pruning, then be prepared for the fact that instead of a hedge, a sloppy plant with branches sticking out in different directions will appear on your site.

For the purpose of shaping, pruning is carried out in the spring. When growing free-standing bushes, crown formation begins no earlier than three years after planting. In this case, no more than a third of all branches are removed. Only dry and damaged shoots are completely removed. Healthy branches are partially trimmed, depending on the shape you want to give the bush.

To create a turf hedge variegated pruning held twice: at the beginning of July and at the end of August. They cut the bush after new shoots begin to knock out general form crowns. The more often the pruning procedure is carried out, the neater the look of the bush will turn out.

Shelter for the winter

Only young trees require additional protection. Mature shrubs are strong enough to withstand frost. Saplings planted in spring grow strongly over the summer and autumn, and therefore especially need shelter. Lower part the bush (and in the first year of cultivation - the entire bush) is covered with spruce branches or agrofibre. In addition, in front of the shelter, all dried or diseased shoots are removed, which can provoke plant diseases in the winter, when it is especially weakened.

Diseases and pests

A pleasant bonus when growing variegated turf is the taste of its leaves, which is quite unpleasant for many harmful insects. The only pest that can infect shrubs is aphids. It can not only spoil the decorative qualities of the plant, but also completely destroy it. There are two ways to deal with it: mechanical and chemical. The first method is to rinse the insects from the bush with the pressure of water from a hose. But this method does not save for long, therefore it is considered ineffective. The preferred method is to treat the plant with a soapy solution or chemical.

Of the diseases that threaten derain, only fungal infections can be named. Preventing them is easy enough - it is important to monitor the condition of the soil, avoiding waterlogging. In case of infection with late blight, the bush is treated with Fundazol.

Reproduction

Like many other plants, variegated turf has several methods of reproduction. In this section, we will share the most effective ones.

Seed propagation of variegated turf has a 100% result, however, this way quite laborious and time consuming. Seeds are harvested from a plant that has reached the age of three. Sowing is carried out in late autumn, until the soil is completely frozen. Before planting, the seeds must undergo a long hardening. They are planted in a multi-layer substrate consisting of sand, sawdust and moss. For the first two months, the seedlings are kept at a temperature of 5 ° C. When propagated by seeds, the standard size of the shrub is reached no earlier than after 5-7 years.

Cutting is the most recommended method of propagation, in which all the characteristics of the mother bush are preserved. Planting material prepared in the period spring pruning... The strongest shoots are selected for cutting cuttings. A stalk with 7-9 buds is placed in a container with fertile soil and sent to the greenhouse. Throughout the summer, plantings are fed with mineral and organic fertilizers, and are regularly watered. By the onset of autumn, the seedlings will be sufficiently rooted and ready to be transplanted to a permanent place.

Quite often, sod is propagated by dividing the bush. To do this, choose a strong and healthy mother bush and free it from the earth. After that, it is divided into several parts. sharp knife or a shovel. The resulting parts are planted in prepared holes with fertile and fertilized soil. Further care of the plant is carried out according to the same scheme as for the mother bush.

Another, rather simple, propagation method is by layering. With the onset of spring, young shoots are pinned to the ground with metal brackets, after which they are sprinkled with earth. By the next spring, the shoots are sufficiently rooted and fully ready for planting.

Derain variegated in landscape design

This plant looks great both as a single bush and in composition with other trees, shrubs and flowers. Due to its ability to change the color of its leaves, it is often used to create a bright accent. Low ornamental bushes look great against the background of tall trees. Cute compositions are obtained from deren with roses and juniper, as well as barberry and viburnum.

But most often, variegated sod is grown to create a hedge, which requires constant pruning and shaping. However, due to the rapid growth of greenery, the lawn, with insufficient care, turns into sloppy thickets.

Derain variegated - an ornamental shrub with bright and large leaves. Due to its high and lush crown, densely covered variegated leaves and beautiful white inflorescences, it is often used as a hedge and garden decoration. The shrub has unusually strong and durable wood, and it was thanks to it that the derain got its name. The homeland of deren is the forests of Siberia; it can also be found in China, Japan and Korea. Derain perfectly takes root on any soil, frost-resistant and unpretentious in care.

White turf, numbering over 20 different types, is a very common horticultural crop in Russia, like many others. The most famous types include the following varieties:

• Elegantissima, which is considered one of the most famous winter-hardy shrubs, growing up to 3 meters in length. The leaves of this white deren are bluish-green with white edging. By autumn, they become slightly pinkish.
• Siberia. A beautiful shrub about 1.5 meters high with coral branches and lush green foliage. We emphasize the beauty of the bark of the plant, which has a bright red hue, which looks contrasting in winter time- a red spot surrounded by snow-white snow.
• Aurea, growing in length up to 2 meters. Among all varieties, it has the widest leaves. This variety blooms with small creamy white inflorescences.
• Shpet. A beautiful shrub with a height of about 2.5 meters. Has a beautiful spreading crown. The shoots are red, and the foliage pleases with bright golden stripes and border.
• Cream Cracker capable of growing up to 3 meters in height. The shoots of this variety are purple-red, the leaves are light green. And this white turf blooms with inflorescences of a delicate cream color.

This plant is very unpretentious, which is a huge plus for novice gardeners. The shrub does not have any special requirements for the soil (it grows well and takes root on both sandy and loamy soils), is calm about drought, severe frost, resistant to many diseases and not particularly attractive to insect pests.

White turf in the garden

And yet, despite this, some activities during landing and further care you need to conduct. You should start from the place where the deren was planted:

• In sunny areas, white turf develops faster, and its leaves acquire juicy bright shades.
• It is advisable to fertilize the soil poor in useful microelements before planting the shrub - this will allow the shrub to quickly take root and get used to the new place.
• If your site is near a reservoir, be sure to drain it to prevent rotting of the root system of the shrub.

It remains to find out how the planting of seedlings is carried out. First of all, the purchase of plants in spontaneous markets, that is, from hand to hand, threatens you with the purchase of a white deer that is not at all the variety you expected. Therefore, it is better to spend a little money and buy a seedling in the nursery.

Second point - always inspect young tree before the purchase. The bark must be clean and free of damage. In addition, it is better to purchase a 4-year-old seedling - such shrubs take root and take root much faster.

4 year old deren sapling

Instructions:

1. Having determined the planting site for the shrub, we dig a hole slightly larger than the diameter of the earthen coma.
2. Pour a nutrient mixture into the hole, which should consist of leafy earth, humus and mineral additives. Since a shrub can grow in one place for a fairly long time (about 25 years), at the beginning of growth it is necessary to provide it with adequate nutrition, and after that add additional feeding.
3. We fill the hole with the plant with soil, tamp it and water it well.

If you are planting in the fall, you do not need to do anything else. But with spring planting be sure to mulch the shrub to avoid moisture loss.

So, only young plants should be watered regularly, and adults should be watered with high quality only on the hottest summer days. Seedlings need to be watered every day during the summer, and mature bushes only once every two weeks. Approximately 20 liters of water is added under each plant. You do not need to feed white turf if you have done good soil preparation before planting. But if you want to make the flowering of the turf more abundant, and the leaves - bright and juicy, you can feed the shrub twice a year.

Blooming white deren

In the spring, add mineral fertilizers to the soil (about 200 g for each bush), and in the summer use organic matter (5 kg of compost or chicken manure for each plant). The most important activity is pruning. White derain is remarkable in that you can work the most real miracles with its crown, turning it into beautiful bush which will become a wonderful element of your garden. Follow a few of our guidelines:

1. Equip yourself with a sharp pruner and saw.
2. Remove old and diseased shoots.
3. After that, we remove the ugly growing branches that interfere with decorative shaping crowns.

Support beautiful crown bush you need all year round... Having started this process, you will have to form the crown for a long time and painstakingly in the future. The only time when work should not be carried out is winter. When circumcised a large number branches should not be worried - the shrub will very quickly start up new shoots.